> https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/un-chief-says-the-u-s-has-legal-obligation-to-fund-agencies-after-trumps-withdrawal-orderUN chief says the U.S. has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump's withdrawal orderNEW YORK (AP) — The top United Nations official on Thursday said the United States has a "legal obligation" to keep paying its dues that fund U.N. agencies after the White House announced that it is withdrawing support from more than 30 initiatives operated by the world body.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from 31 U.N.-related agencies, including the U.N.'s population agency and the U.N. treaty that establishes international climate negotiations. The U.S. will also depart from dozens of other global organizations or initiatives not affiliated with the U.N."As we have consistently underscored, assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States," Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Guterres, said in a statement.He added that despite the announcement, the U.N. entities targeted will keep doing their work: "The United Nations has a responsibility to deliver for those who depend on us."The strong retort from the U.N. comes after the world body has spent the better part of the past year in a somewhat hostile and fragile back-and-forth with U.S. officials, who, after Trump's return to office, zeroed in on eliminating billions of dollars in aid and funding to international organizations like the U.N. and humanitarian assistance at large.
>>1475936Through many conciliatory public and closed-door appeals, U.N. officials, including Guterres, had been able to convince Trump and his allies not to completely abandon the institution the U.S. helped found on the ashes of World War II, including through a $2 billion agreement for humanitarian assistance announced last month. But America's retreat had already influenced other Western countries, including France and the U.K., to reevaluate humanitarian funding, with many shifting that money toward military spending.But Wednesday's announcement surprised diplomats at the highest levels of the U.N., who said they learned about the withdrawal through news reports and the White House social media. There has been no formal communication from the Trump administration outlining the decision, Dujarric told reporters.Many U.N. officials refused to comment on the impact it would have on their agencies because they had not been given details or official word from anyone in the U.S. government.Following a yearlong review of participation in and funding for all international organizations, Trump signed an executive order suspending American support for 66 groups, agencies and commissions.Many of the targets are U.N.-related agencies, commissions and advisory panels that focus on climate, labor, migration and other issues the Trump administration has categorized as catering to diversity and "woke" initiatives.The administration previously suspended support for the World Health Organization, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA, the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. It has taken a larger, à la carte approach to paying dues to the world body, picking which operations and agencies it believes align with Trump's agenda and those that no longer serve U.S. interests.
>>1475937Some of the agencies impacted, including the U.N. Population Fund, an organization that provides sexual and reproductive health services worldwide, have long been a lightning rod for Republican opposition, and Trump cut funding for it during his first term.The withdrawal from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, came as less of a surprise as Trump and his allies had previously withdrawn U.S. support from other climate initiatives.The 1992 agreement between 198 countries to financially support climate change activities in developing countries is the underlying treaty for the landmark Paris climate agreement. Trump withdrew from that agreement soon after returning to the White House.Simon Stiell, UNFCCC executive secretary, warned the U.S. that the decision to pull back will harm "the US economy, jobs and living standards, as wildfires, floods, mega-storms and droughts get rapidly worse.""The doors remain open for the U.S. to reenter in the future, as it has in the past with the Paris Agreement," he said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the size of the commercial opportunity in clean energy, climate resilience, and advanced electrotech remains too big for American investors and businesses to ignore."The U.N.'s regular budget, which finances its day-to-day operations and primary activities, is funded by its 193 member nations, each paying a percentage based on the size of their economy. The U.S., the world's largest economy, is supposed to pay 22%, followed by China, with 20%. There is a separate budget to fund the U.N.'s peacekeeping operations, where the U.S. is required to pay 25%.
>>1475936The UN needs that money for raping people. And to pay for covering up the rapes.
>>1475938U.N. officials said the U.S. did not pay its annual contributions to the regular budget last year, an obligation outlined in the U.N. Charter. A member that is in arrears for two full years loses its vote in the General Assembly."The charter is not à la carte," Dujarric said. "We're not going to renegotiate the charter."All four other veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — China, France, Russia and the U.K. — have paid in full. China paid over $685 million.>finished
>>1475936>US kicked form UN>No one else will veto Palestinian tatehood>Israel BTFOOh this is gonna be good
>>1475944Exactly. The U.S. has a legal obligation to fund these initiatives because of past agreements. If they don't, that's fine, but that gives the world all the more incentive to invoke Article 6 to kick the U.S. out of the U.N. Israel then gets screwed. So ultimately this is a win for everybody, including the U.S.
>>1475949>If they don't, that's fineIt isn't. Our membership in the UN was ratified by Congress. This is literally unconstitutional and the US moving more towards monarchy is bad, actually.
>>1475950You know the executive, the president is the primary point of contact for foreign policy. And the president has the power to not allocate the money.
Fat le 56% Schweinehunds, get the fuck out of our country. Ve vill creates ze 4th Reich und kill your jew masters and let ze schwarz rule your cuntry. Ve vill make ze slavs honorary Aryans
>>1475955Congress allocated the money to give to the UN. Trump must spend the money by giving it to the UN. He doesn't just gain the power of the purse because it's foreign policy.
>>1475972Untrue and there's a procedure for the money if not used. Thanks for being a tard.
>>1475950>>1475955The world doesn't care that this was ratified by Congress. All they see is that the head of state is ending past agreements. The world's not going to wait for Congress to intervene. The disconnect means the U.S. is not reliable.Ultimately, this will work out well for U.S. and the world as a whole.
>>1475972No. You're wrong.
>>1475949The US will give a flying fuck when all the OTHER countries in the UN pay back all the money THEY wers obligated to give the UN and spent decades ignoring.
>>1475972The events of the past year have shown that he functionally *does* have the power of the purse for some fucking reason.
>>1475936As an American I fucking despise the UN. Not even a trump fan. Fuck him and fuck that pathetic useless international group of assholes. Try to start a group based on actual international unity not just a shitty facade on top of a western world government.
>>1475964Say, Herr Shitler, after all those brown imports, Germany is no longer an Aryan country. Are you talking about creating a Turd Reich? N'YUCK N'YUCK
>>1475936the jabronies at the UN needs to slow their rolls and smell what America is cooking
